Circuit-interrupting system.



C. LE G. FORTESCUE. clRculT INTERRUPHNG SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7, 1915.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

'/4 llllllllllll lllllllllll HIM/HH!!! .|lI. Ill Ill III l/l III III IIIll' (ll ll' III I ll' Ill Ill. III ll' III l/I III ll' III ll INVENToRCharles Le G. F o'rescue ATTORNEY UNITED srArEs ma'A 'i' OFFICE.

CHARLES LE G. ronrnscun, or rIrTsBURGH, PENNsYLvANiA,` AssiGNoR TowEs'rINC--.

HOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUNACTURINC COMPANY, A CORPORATION or PENNsYL- IvANrA.

I To all 'whom z't may ooncem:

Be it known that I, CHARLES LNG.` Foii'rnscun, a subject of the King ofEngland, and a resident of Pitts'burgh, in the county ofAllegheny andvState of Pennsylv .vania, have invented a new and useful 1mvprovementin Circuit-Interrupting Systems,

g system wherein the alternating-current Circuit is interrupted inresponse to the conditions in the direct-current Circuit. Insuchsystems,` the magnetic energy of the direct- Current Circuit ispermitted to be -gradually dissipated when the altei'nating-currentcircuit is nterrupted, to`thus preclude the generation of an excessivedirect-current voltage, which would occur if the direct-Current w aolCircuit should be independently interrupted. It is advantageous, in suchsystems, to inte'rrupt the alternating-current Circuit within a halfcycle, and, in order/to accomplish this, I provide, in my presentinvention, tw'ol asymmetrically arranged or parallel-connected vaporvalves that I connect in the alternating-current Circuit and the arcs'ofwhich I cause to be extinguished iii response to direct-Current-circuitconditions, to thereby interrupt the alternating-current Circuit withinone half cycle.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a diagraminatic view of adistributing system embodying one form of my inven-.

tion, and Fig. 2 'is a diagrami'natic view of 'a distributingsystemembodying a modified form lof my' invention. Analternating-current Circuit 1 is adapted 'to supply energy to avdirect-current Circuit 2 by means of a vapor Converter 3 or other.`suitable type of converting device. Two asyminetrically `arranged orparallel-connected vaporrvalves 4 and 5 are connected in thealternating-current circuit, and the arcs thereof are extinguished ,inresponse to predetermined Circuit rect-current Circuit 2.

conditions in the di- Speeiflcation of Letters Patent.

Vanode 7 for the her. lthe Shield '9 and is insulated therefrom by' onevterminal of the .valve 4' and the' anode 7 of the are so made that onehalf in the .opposite direction.

. the conductor 20 'of the I. i CmCUIr-INTERRUPTING 'sYs'rnm PatentedOct. 10, 1916.`

'w ,Application fiie'oetober'z, 1915. serial No. 54,587.

The valves 4 and 5. severally Comprise a containing member 6, an anode.7, a mercury cathode 8 and anv anode or ionizng shield 9. The anodeShield 9 is' insulated from the containing member 6 and surrounds thesame from the sides` of the Containing mem- A conducting tube 10 isdsposed'in an insulating-bushing 11.

The anode 7 of the valve 4 is connected to the conductor 12 of theCircuit 1, as is also the cathode 8 of the valve 5. The

'cathode'v 8 of the valve 4 is operatively con-` nected to the 'anode 7of the'valve 5. The

conductor 13 of the Circuit 1 is connected to primary winding 14 of theother terminal of to the cathode of the valve 5.

a transformer 15, which is connected These connections of the wavetraverses the valve 4 and, consequently, and the other halflof the wavetraverses the valve 5 and, consequently,

the winding 14 in one direction,

the winding purpose of protectingthe Referring particularly to Fig. 1 ofthe w drawings, transformer 15 is connected to the anodes 17 and' 18 of'the Converter 3,- and the midpoint 19 conductor 21 of the Circuit 2 isgrounded, as

is also the cathode 22 of the Converter 3.-

The conducting tubelO of the valve 4 is connected, through.. a resistor28 and a switch 24, to the anode V7, and the tube 10 of the valve 5issimilarly connected, through a resistor 22 and the switch 24, to itsrespective anode 7. rIhe switch 24 is adapted to be actuated by anelectromagnet 25 having a winding 2530116 grounded and the otherterminal of which is connected toone terminal of a condenser 26.

The4 other terminal of the condenser 26 is lconnected to the conductor20 of the Circuit 2. The condenser`26 land the winding 25a are soproportioned that, when the voltage 'of the Circuit 2 changes quickly,because of aj ground or a short Circuit thereon, the condenser 26 willdischarge suficient 'current through the winding 25a' to open the switch24.3 When the switch 24 is opened, the tube 10, that is normallymaintained at the same polarity as the anodes of the winding 16 isconnected to` Circuit 2. The other) terminal of which is" the secondarywinding 16 of 'the of the valves, Causes occurrenceA of abnormalconditions in the circuit 2, the condcnser 26 discharges, in.

antici ation of a dangerous value of current, to extinguish thearcs ofthe valves 4 and 5 .and to thereby permit the magnetic energy of thecircuit to^be gradually dissipated, thus precluding the generation ofexcessive I voltages.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings, the switch 24 is adapted to open thekeep-alive circuit 27 of the valves 4: and 5 to extinguish the arc inresponse to circuit conditions in the directcurrent circuit 2. In otherrespects, the system illustrated in Fig. 2 is the same as` the vsystemshown in F ig. 1, with the exception,

however, that the conductor 21 of the circuit is connected to. thecathode 22 of the converter 3, instead of to the ground, and the winding25a of the electromagnet 25 is connected tothe conductors 20 and 21through the condcnser 26. When a short circuit or overload occurs uponthe circuit 2, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the condenser 26discharges suflicient current through the winding 25a to cause theswitch 24 to open the keep-alive circuits 27 and to thus extlnguish thearcs of the converters 4 and 5. Since only one half of the wave passesthrough one valve, it will be understood that, when the arc of theOperating valve or converter is extinguished,uno cur-r rent istraversing the other valve, and, consequently, when the arcs aresimultaneously extinguished, the alternating current must necessarily beinterrupted within half the cycle.

I do not limit my invention to the particular devices illustrated, asmany modifications may be made therein without departing from the spiritand scopeof the invention, as set forth--in the appended claims.

I claim as m invention:

1. In a distributing system, the combination with an alternting-currentcircuit,l a direct-current circuit, a converting device connectedbetween' the said circuits, and asymmetrically arranged valvesI disposedbetween the alternatmg-current circuit and the converting device, saidvalves having shields surrounding vthe anodes thereof and electricallyconnected thereto, of means'for interrupting the electrical connectionbetween the shields and the anodes in response to predeterminedconditions in the direct-current circuit.

2. In a system of distributionthe combi- I ers connected in thealternating-current circuit, said converters having shields between therespective electrodes thereof that are electrically connected to theanodes, of means for interrupting the connection between the shields andthe respective anodes thereof in response to circuit conditions in thedirect-current circuit.

8. In a system of distribution, the combination with Vanalternating-current circuit,

' a direct-current circuit supplied therefrom and two parallel-connectedconverters in the alternating-current circuit, said converters havingshields between the respective electrodes thereof that aregelectricallyconnected to the anodes, of means for interrupting the electricalconnection between the shields and the respective anodes in anticipationof circuit conditions in the directcurrent circuit.

4.- In a distributing system, the combination with analternating-current circuit, a

tions in the direct-current circuit.

6. In a system of distribution, the combidirect-current circuitoperatively connected nation with an alternating-current circuit,

a direct-current circuit, a converter connected therebetween andparallel-connected valves disposed in the alternatlng-current circuit,of means f0r`ex`tinguishing the arcs of the valves in response tocircuit condiv tions in the direct-current circuit to thereby permit theenergy of the direct-current cir- -cuit to be gradually dissipated.

7. A system of distribution comprisin'g an alternating-current circuit,a direct-current circuit, a main vapor converter connected therebetween,two auxiliary vapor 'converters so connected in the alternating-currentclrcuit that one-half of the wave passes through one converter and theother half of the wave passes through the iother converter, ofelectro-responsive means operatively connected to the direct-currentcircuit for extinguishing the arcs of the auxiliary converters underpredetermined conditions.

8. A system of distribution comprising an alternatlng-current circuit, adirect-current circuit, a main vapor converter connected therebetween,two auxiliary aporeonvertfi 'ers so connected in the alternatingcurrentCircuit that one-half of the Wave vapasses' through one and the otherhalf ofthe wave passes through the other, of electro-responares of theauxiliary converters in anticipation of predetermined conditions in thediroot-current Circuit. 10

In testimony whereof, I havel hereunt subscribed my name this 29th 'dayof Sept.` 1915.

CHARLES LE G. FORTESCUE.

